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(Sun News) No fewer than five old pensioners fainted yesterday at the headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Asaba, Delta State. The victims and several others had come to the Labour House to undergo screening by officers of the Federal Pensions Office, Abuja, for eventual collection of their pensions.

The only help available to them was from their relations and fellow retirees who had to fan them till they regained some strength and had to either leave the queue or join again, to continue the screening as there was no ambulance to rush them to any hospital.

There were allegations that several others had suffered the same fate before yesterday’s.
When Daily Sun visited the screening venue, the place was filled with many retirees and some of their aides, mainly their relations with a few staff of the Pensions Office milling around.

Speaking to Daily Sun, state Chairman, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Delta State Council, Chief Matthias Ubiebi, described the situation as unpalatable, unbearable and called on the Federal Government to take serious steps to save people who had contributed their quota to make the country what it is today.

“We are involved in the screening exercise of pensioners, but the problem we have is that the Federal Government underestimated the number of pensioners we have compared to the number of personnel they brought and the materials they brought. That is why we have the crowd you see here today because there is no one to attend to them.”
Daily Sun investigations, however, revealed that the four laptops, with which the officials were doing their work, were hired from a consultant in Port Harcourt.
On the number of pensioners in the state, Chief Ubiebi said, “it is estimated to be over 8,000 and this is the number to be attended to by just two staff and four hired laptops.”
Speaking further, he said, “you have seen what is happening here. The whole place is crowded and there is not enough personnel and materials to work with.”

Although 56-year-old suspect, Shuaib Atanda, is a contractor engaged by the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba, to dispose unclaimed corpses of babies, police said his inability to give a satisfactory answer to what he was doing with some sacks stuffed with 66 dead babies, may soon land him in trouble.


“He showed documents to back his claims, but he could not give a satisfactory explanation on why he had to travel all the way from Idi Aba to Agbowa to dispose the corpses,” Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, said on Tuesday.


But Atanda told PUNCH METRO that he had been a contractor with the LUTH for two years. ”What I do is to evacuate abandoned dead babies from the university. It was not different last Saturday as I was given 66 dead babies to evacuate and deposit at Atan cemetery in Yaba. Forty of the dead babies were those unclaimed for the month of March, while 26, were for in the month of April,” he said.


Atanda alleged that after bribing some staff of the LUTH, he discovered that the amount left from the N185,000 the hospital paid him would not be enough to bury the corpses at Atan cemetery.


He said, “There was no money left for me to buy a space at Atan cemetery where we usually bury them. The cemetery would collect between N90,000 and N100,000 before one can get space. But I had bribed nearly everybody in that department (Morbid and Anatomy) before I could get that contract.


“For instance, I gave N50,000 to O/C mortuary; I gave N40,000 to one Everest in that department, two workers in the account department also collected N10, 000 each. That was the usual practice; I have been doing this job for a long time.


“So at the end of the day, I had to take a risk and decided to find a bush to bury the children, because I also needed money to feed my family. The police caught me on the way,” he said, denying that he went with the corpses to Agbowa for any other purpose.


When questioned why he had to go as far as Agbowa to bury the corpses, Atanda, who denied having ulterior motive for his action, simply said, ”I am sorry.”


But the Head of the Department of Mobid and Anatomy, Prof. Kumbi Banjo, said the LUTH was already investigating Atanda‘s allegation. ”It is true that he is our contractor to clear unclaimed baby corpses. We have such corpses on ground because many people were so devastated by their losses that they just abandoned the corpses. We have to evacuate such babies who had been there for a long time. But the university is looking into this problem,” she said.


The ‘O/C mortuary,’ who is actually the Principal Head Assistant of Morbid and Anotomy, Mr. Abraham Ekhome, denied Atanda‘s allegation. “It is a mere fabrication. We use about four contractors and I have never collected any bribe or gift from them,” he said.


However, Mba said police preliminary investigation into the matter also led to the arrest of some workers in the Department of Morbid and Anatomy of the teaching hospital.


He said police investigation was still continuing, adding, “For now, we are satisfied that Atanda is a bonafide contractor with the LUTH and that he was charged with the duty of disposing abandoned dead babies. We are sure that the suspect is neither a ritualist nor a murderer nor a trafficker. Other contending issues like corruption and abuse of office will be investigated.” (Punch)

Federal medical centre, Minna Niger state pix

Good for them

Following the disagreement between the Chief Solomon Lar and Mohammed Dikko Yusuf-led Northern elders groups over the dicey issue of zoning of the 2011 presidency, a new group under the aegis of the Northern Third Force, has emerged to seek fresh deal with President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Northern Third Force, led by former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Saidu Dansadau, which had been meeting at the Apo Legislative Quarters in Abuja, is working to ensure that the Northern region is strategically situated to partake in the 2011 presidential elections by dousing tension in the region to allow for genuine negotiation with President Jonathan when he eventually declares his intention to contest.
The Lar Northern elders group has been urging President Jonathan to not only ignore the zoning arrangement of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but also to run for the presidential elections.

To further drum home their support, the Lar group has concluded plans to organize a massive rally to impress on Jonathan to contest the election, arguing that the zoning arrangement had no force of law, but a mere agreement reached to address a specific issue in 1999.
On the contrary, the Alhaji M.D. Yusufu Northern political leaders which met in Abuja about three weeks ago to map out strategy towards ensuring the upholding of the PDP zoning arrangement, last week stormed the venue of the Northern Governors’ Forum to cavass the need for all political stakeholders to respect the gentleman’s agreement reached by the ruling by PDP.

Concerned about the divergent views of the two opposing Northern elders, the Nothern Third Force made up of mainly younger generation amongst whom are Chief Solomon Ewuga, former Minister of State, FCT, Alhaji Abba Dabo (Kano), Ambassador Yusuf Mamman, Mr John Balami, Hon. Barminas Yilkes and Suleiman Hunkuyi as interim management team, noted that if the Lar and Yusuf northern elders groups were allowed to continue with their sharp rivalry over the issue of zoning, it might spell doom for the unity and needed harmony of the Northern region.

Daily Sun gathered that the Northern Third Force which critically reviewed the emerging political development in the country at its series of meetings, noted that the Lar and Yusuf groups’ activities are capable of polarizing the North along ethno/religious divides which they considered as not only unhealthy but dangerous for the political interest of the region.

“We have no choice at this critical stage than to come out to intervene over the ugly situation. We created the Third Force made up of dynamic and agile people in order to enhance the unity and pan-Northern agenda irrespective of political or religious affiliation,” a member of the group told Daily Sun in confidence.
The Northern Third Force, according to Daily Sun sources, resolved to drum the need for the region not to undermine the goodwill and support the region had enjoyed from its allies since pre-independence.

As part of measures aimed at achieving its action plan, members of the Northern Third Force have concluded plans to meet with all the two main rivals in the North after which they are expected to proceed to meet with other stakeholders from the three geo-political zones of the Southern part of the country. (Sun news)

Thanks

Alumni Association of Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, is to raise N250 million for the construction of a 500-seater lecture theatre.
To ensure the realisation of the project, the alumni has constituted a committee to raise funds for the project.

Chairman/Coordinator of the Committee, Chief Chris Orode, who disclosed this to newsmen in Lagos, said the decision to build the lecture theatre with modern facilities was the highlight of deliberations of the National Executive Council of the alumni association of the school at the end of its bi-annual meeting, recently in Abuja.

He said the meting was unanimous in endorsing the launching of an endowment fund to address the perennial infrastructural needs of the institution.
Orode said the lecture theatre would have four compartments to address the infrastructural needs of the polytechnic. He called on all alumni of the institution to rise up to the challenge and identify positively by supporting the laudable project.
Orode was optimistic that the building project would restore the past glories of the institution.

Rating agencies have scaled down their rating of Nigerian banks, unlike the period between 2005 and 2009 when several rating agencies were over themselves in rating the banks. Global rating agencies like Standard and Poor's (S&P), Global Credit Rating Co. (GCR), Fitch, and many other local rating firms were in the forefront of rating Nigerian banks. This was at a time when many Nigerian banks were expanding their global reach, as well as raising funds from the local and international capital market.For instance, as at July 2006, nine Nigerian banks were ranked among the top 1,000 banks in the world, in a listing done by The Banker Magazine.

Suspended ratings
Since last year, many of the rating agencies do not have recent rating data on Nigerian banks. Of the lot, only S&P still maintains a rating of the Nigerian banking industry, with its latest rating information released in June. It only just released ratings information on Zenith Bank, First Bank, and Guaranty Trust Bank. The rating agency stated recently that it had suspended the rating of Intercontinental Bank since 1 December, 2009. "The withdrawal is due to a lack of sufficient information from the bank to enable us to maintain surveillance of the ratings," the firm stated, noting that there is a sharp deterioration in Intercontinental Bank Plc's financial condition due to very high levels of non-performing loans.Efforts to speak with Lawrence Ndukwe, manager, corporate communications of the bank, were unsuccessful as he did not pick his calls and did not respond to text messages. (234 next)

LT. Chief MKO Abiola

@ Deli foods!

Taiwo Ogunjobi, Sani Lulu, Uchegbulam Amanze and Bolaji Ojo-Oba, who allegedly ran the football house aground were, yesterday, invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to explain their roles in an alleged N1.3billion fraud bordering on misappropriation of public funds and gross abuse of official position.
Vanguard reliably gathered that the top shots in the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, that turned the World Cup tournament into a jamboree will tomorrow share their experience with operatives of the anti-graft body which has reportedly listed over 100 of the atrocities they allegedly committed.

It was learnt that the soccer body’s helmsmen took 300 delegates to the mundial in different togas either as stakeholders or ex-footballers and allegedly bribed 37 F.A Chairmen with N5million each to secure victory in the yet to be conducted election into the football ruling body in Nigeria.
Vanguard also gathered that 142 additional names were included into the original list of delegates while “funds made available to the federation by FIFA and CAF were mismanaged without recourse to due process.”

A source said: “The sum of $250,000, $125,000, $400,000 were at various times given to the federation yet there is little or nothing to show for all these monies dolled out simply for good soccer administration.”
Other allegations included the $236,000 that developed wings and flew out of the coffers of the federation in a highly questionable manner in Abuja; $5million being proceeds of marketing given to the body by FIFA was equally poorly managed while the helmsmen allegedly did not use other various sums such as the $1million from corporate sponsors and FIFA properly.
The source added: “Another $200,000 was released to them and it went the way of the others. They will have to explain to Nigerians how they used N95million to buy buses for the Super Eagles that turned into Super chickens in South Africa and another N34million that cannot be explained.”
EFCC’s Head, Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Babafemi confirmed to Vanguard that the four former NFF leadership had been invited.

The Action Congress, AC, yesterday, criticised the Federal Government’s capitulation on the issue of the ban placed on national football teams from participating in international competitions for two years.
In a statement issued in Ibadan by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the government’s decision to lift the ban, without concrete reasons beyond trying to avoid a FIFA ban, would hurt Nigeria’s football in the long run.
It said the action had also provided an insight into how key decisions were taken at the highest echelon of government – without being well thought-out!

Mohammed said: “The presidency said the ban was reversed after the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, apologised to the President and Nigerians, and because of the appeals from ‘well meaning Nigerians’ and former leaders. It also said the NFF has put its house in order by sacking its leadership.
“We cannot think of a more untenable excuse for the presidency to embark on such a policy inconsistency. The cosmetic change at the NFF, which removed only three of its members, cannot produce the kind of radical change that we need to push our football forward.
“Singling out the former NFF President Sani Lulu, former first VP Amanze Uchegbulam and former head of technical department, Taiwo Ogunjobi, amounts to a white-wash.

The entire NFF executive committee should have accepted responsibility for embarrassing Nigeria and resigned to pave the way for fresh elections, after the disgrace in South Africa.”
The party wondered why the government was so afraid of a FIFA ban, when it had in fact banned itself so it can reflect deeply on its football and restructure the administration of the game in the country.
It said: “Didn’t they take into consideration the fact that FIFA will ban Nigeria for taking that decision, which of course contravenes the global body’s non-interference-by-government rules? If they were not ready to damn the consequences, why place the ban in the first instance? Don’t they think such policy sommersault exposes our country’s leadership to ridicule?”
Describing the whole issue as unfortunate, AC said nothing had happened so far to show that there would be a paradigm shift in the hunt for talents and administration of football in the country.

Meantime, football enthusiasts have hailed the Federal Government for rescinding its decision to withdraw the country from international football for two years.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, shortly after the government reversed its earlier decision, the enthusiasts, however, said that football administration in the country should be streamlined.

They said that football federation members should be accountable to the government and the people.
Retired Brig.-Gen. Emmanuel Okaro said that the government was justified in its decision to withdraw from international football for two years as he believed that the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, was running a “parallel government.”
Okaro, a former Sole Administrator of the Bauchi Sports Council, welcomed the government’s decison stressing that the ban would have adversely affected the Nigerian youths.
Clampdown on football administration
He said that clubs, players and referees would have been affected by the ban, adding: “There must be a clampdown on football administration in Nigeria.
People should be accountable for the monies entrusted to them for the running of the game. There should be a system of checks and balances in the administration of football in the country.

The finances should be audited and given to the government for scrutiny and posted on the website for the public to make input.”
In his reaction, two-time Chief Coach of the national team, Adegboye Onigbinde, noted that the government’s decision to withdraw from international football and Monday’s decision to rescind it were both taken in the interest of the country.
Onigbinde described it as a “welcome development and shows that we have a listening government, a government that loves the nation”.
The CAF and FIFA Instructor said that he believed that the impeachment of NFF President, Sani Lulu, First and Second Vice-Presidents, Amanze Uchegbulam and Taiwo Ogunjobi respectively might have influenced the government’s decision to rescind its decision.

He said that the government must also have been worried as the rest of the public at the poor standard of football in the country.
CAF and FIFA Executive Committees member, Amos Adamu, said he was happy that the government rescinded its decision “to allow football to grow”.
Adamu congratulated President Goodluck Jonathan and the Minister of Sports, Ibrahim Bio, on the new development, and called on sports administrators to ensure that they planned ahead to avoid last-minute preparations for competitions. www.vanguardngr.com

to protect the president in preparation for 2011, i guess!!

Too bad

Atuche

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President Goodluck Jonathan has said the hundreds of posts on his Facebook page helped persuade him to reverse his suspension of the nation’s football teams from international competitions, the British Broadcasting Corporation reports.


“I have listened to your voices,” Jonathan said in a posting on the social networking site on Monday. He had banned the Super Eagles and other national teams for two years, following the senior team‘s poor World Cup campaign.


He overturned his decision on Monday evening, ahead of a 6pm deadline from football world governing body, FIFA, to quash the ban.


Under FIFA rules, government interference with national teams is strictly forbidden.


The President lifted the ban after the Nigerian Football Federation promised to disband and rebuild the Super Eagles.


“I read your comments and took them into account in the government‘s decision to rescind the suspension of Nigeria from international football,” Jonathan said on Facebook.


The President, who only set up his Facebook page early last week, two days before the ban, has more than 76,000 Facebook followers.


“I had a meeting with the NFF today and conveyed my disappointment and those of Nigerians on this page and received assurances that there will be positive changes.


“We must now work together to make sure that the NFF and our players do us proud in future events,” he said, ending the message with his initials ”GEJ.” (Punch News)

The Federation of International Football Association early on Tuesday endorsed the new leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation.


In a statement, FIFA said Nigeria beat the deadline to reverse its decision to withdraw from all international competitions for two years.


The body said a letter from the Nigerian government was received before the Monday 6pm deadline.


FIFA stressed that its executive member, Dr. Amos Adamu, played a mediatory role in resolving the problems which arose from the dismal performance of the Super Eagles at the ongoing World Cup in South Africa.


Following this development, FIFA said, ”The NFF remains vested with all its statutory rights,”


Last week, President Goodluck Jonathan said Nigeria would not take part in FIFA organised tournaments for two years because of the poor performance of the Eagles in South Africa.


FIFA on Friday gave a deadline to reverse the decision. Adamu left Johannesburg for Abuja on Thursday to help in resolving the problems.


On Sunday, the former President of the NFF Sani Lulu, 1st Vice-President Amanze Uchegbulam and the Technical Committee Chairman Taiwo Ogunjobi were impeached while Alhaji Aminu Maigari was elected acting President of the body.

www.punchng.com

south africa 2010 finals- holland vs germany!

no harm!

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